This is your brain on exergames! Effects of exergaming on cognitive control (study)

What are the effects of single bouts of aerobic exercise, exergaming, and videogame play on task performance and neuroelectric indices of inhibitory aspects of cognitive control?


Details:

• 36 college students (18 female, 18 male)
• Wii Fit (6 minutes each game = Aerobic Step, Rhythm Boxing, Hula-Hoop) & and 20 minute bouts on MarioKart, treadmill walking and seated rest.

Findings

• Heart-rate
• Treadmill (117 bpm) > Wii Fit (115 bmp) > MarioKart (82 bpm)
• NSD in heart-rate between treadmill and Wii Fit.
• Response Time
• Single bout of treadmill exercise might reduce response time interference by 10% suggesting enhanced cognitive control through management of conflict in the stimulus environment."

Exergaming Questions/Potentials

• Using exergames that require more dynamic game environments and game play (stimulus) might mimic the effects only found in the treadmill condition. 
• Perhaps more intense levels of treadmill and exergaming might illicit more favorable changes to response time and inhibitory control.
• Did the variable nature of the exergames place greater demands on cognitive control thus reducing the chances of see changes in response time and inhibitory control?

O’Leary, K., Pontifex, M., Scudder, M., Brown, M., & Hillman, C. (2011). The effects of single bouts of aerobic exercise, exergaming, and videogame play on cognitive control Clinical Neurophysiology DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2011.01.049


Be sure to check out the 2011 Games for Health Conference track on Cognitive Training

Click here for more on cognitive function in the ExerGame Lab archives.